QUESTION: Senator, finally, let's talk about Spain. If you're elected president, would you be willing to invite President Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House to meet with you?

MCCAIN: I would be willing meet, uh, with those leaders who our friends [sic] and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion, and by the way, President Calderon of Mexico is fighting a very very tough fight against the drug cartels. I'm glad we are now working in cooperation with the Mexican government on the Merida plan. I intend to move forward with relations, and invite as many of them as I can, those leaders, to the White House.

QUESTION: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government, to the president itself?

MCCAIN: I don't, you know, honestly I have to look at relations and the situations and the priorities, but I can assure you I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America.

QUESTION: So you have to wait and see if he's willing to meet with you, or you'll be able to do it in the White House?

MCCAIN: Well again I don't, all I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us, and standing up to those who are not, and that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America, and the entire region.

QUESTION: Okay... what about you, I'm talking about the President of Spain?

MCCAIN: What about me what?

QUESTION: Okay... are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?

MCCAIN: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those that do not.

now that the election has shifted back to actual issues instead of "lipstick on a pig" and "sex ed for 5 year olds," that can only mean bad news for McCain. it's terribly obvious to everyone that McCain doesn't have any grasp of economic issues, and nearly all of the actual issues themselves heavily favor the Democrats. McCain had hoped to start another culture war with the pick of Palin, but as her favorability ratings continue to plummet in the polls, her inexperience and lack of any comprehensive understanding of any national issues are going to make her a liability. thus, he'll have to manufacture another distraction, and quickly, if he doesn't want to be too far behind before the first debate begins. i wonder what they'll cook up?

Its the economic news of the past 4 days, nothing more, that is responsible for Obama's new bounce. Obama benefits simply by not being a member of the party in the White House.

Its the economic news of the past 4 days, nothing more, that is responsible for Obama's new bounce. Obama benefits simply by not being a member of the party in the White House.

the focus on issues such as the economy and not sideshow distractions are what is directly contributing to Obama's clear and continued rise in the polls. in addition, Palin's novelty factor is wearing off and her demonstrated lack of knowledge in the Gibson interview didn't help either.

you are correct that it is Republicans, including McCain, who are to be faulted for the current crisis. this is why he is suffering in the polls. it is because of the policies that McCain has supported that have turned out to have damaged the American economy that are contributing to his slide in the polls. Americans don't want any more of the economic policies championed by McCain, and they are concerned that he doesn't know anything about economics, as he himself has admitted on many occasions.

Quote:

You started it. Its your prediction.

i speculated that it was one scenario. you seem to want to use it as some sort of evidence that i've been incorrect about something at some point in time, and then use it in whatever current debate you're trying to have with me in order to score points you're unable to at present.

but, hey, if the election continues to be about issues and not culture wars and lipstick on pigs, then we might well see this Obama tsunami. either way, the more reality encroaches, the more McCain struggles.

Is not wanting to fund your government yet supporting huge deficit causing wars more patriotic in your opinion?

The first George Bush raised taxes to help balance the budget and the democrats spent more leading to no balanced budget. Why should anyone trust increasing taxes will balance the budget when new spending is already being promised?

The left will stab the right in the back at the first opportunity. If McCain wins he better watch out who he crosses the isle for.

Controlling spending is the only way.

Not funding wars to balance the budget is basically suicide since the U.S. is the only one that has a chance of checking Russia, Iran, N. Korea, & China. And that is only a maybe. If the world was just a bunch of democracies trading with each other, then a reduction in military would be possible.

The first George Bush raised taxes to help balance the budget and the democrats spent more leading to no balanced budget. Why should anyone trust increasing taxes will balance the budget when new spending is already being promised?

The left will stab the right in the back at the first opportunity. If McCain wins he better watch out who he crosses the isle for.

Uh, yeah, that's why we're in the hole we're in...

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Originally Posted by purpleoscar

Controlling spending is the only way.

Well this should always be the goal.

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Originally Posted by purpleoscar

Not funding wars to balance the budget is basically suicide since the U.S.

Not sure what you mean by this...

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Originally Posted by purpleoscar

If the world was just a bunch of democracies trading with each other, then a reduction in military would be possible.

You don't need to disassociate yourself from someone you've never been associated with.

Of course there's no direct literal association between the two of them, but that wasn't what I meant. Part of McCain's problem with Latino voters is a distrustful sense that he's been cowed by the right wing of his party (of which Limbaugh is a highly visible and controversial symbol) and will no longer stand up for comprehensive immigration reform as he once did. Associating McCain with ugly-sounding comments from Limbaugh is a sensationalistic, string-tugging way of exploiting that fear (which is why I agree that the ad is deceitful). But from what I've read, thus far all the McCain campaign has done by way of response is to have a Latino Congressman surrogate release a tepid-sounding statement that the ad lies about McCain's record on immigration, without addressing either the charge that his positions have changed or the implication that he's comfortable with supporters who enjoy sentiments like "stupid and unqualified Mexicans." Which is pretty much what I expected. That's not to say it might not be a wholly sufficient response for political purposes; but I do think the Obama campaign was intentionally throwing down a gauntlet here, and it's interesting to see how the McCain campaign responds.